December FAQs

Hello Lima Beaders! Here are answers to some frequently-asked questions we get around the holidays. If you have questions of your own, add a comment and we’ll do our best to answer you!

When should I order so my package arrives by Christmas?

Here are a few guidelines to help make sure your order arrives before Christmas. If you live in the US, you should place your order by December 17th if you choose our normal (Priority Mail) shipping. If you’re a really late shopper (like me), you can order up until December 23rd at 3pm EST, but you must select UPS shipping to make sure your package gets delivered on the 24th (there are no deliveries on the 25th). This is expensive, but possible!

For international customers, you should place your order as soon as possible, because it’s difficult to tell how long it will take once the package reaches your country. We also offer UPS shipping to many countries, which is speedier in case you need to place your order closer to Christmas. The sooner, the safer!

Does Lima Beads have gift certificates?

Sure we do! You (or your friends and family!) can buy a gift certificate right on our web site. You can personalize the “To:” and “From:” right online! The shipping guidelines above apply for gift certificates, too. Get more information here.

When does the free gift promotion end?

You can choose a free gift with every order through December 31, 2008. We can’t offer rain checks for the free gifts, so make sure to place your order before the promotion ends!

Will here be Lima Lunch Specials over the holidays?

Our Lunch Specials will continue to be sent out every Tuesday, right through the holidays–rain, sleet, or snow! If you don’t already get the Lunch Specials (deals e-mailed to you during your lunchtime), sign up here!

I appreciate the fact that my order arrives so quickly. I like the way the item number is listed on the plastic bag and correlates with the number on the invoice.
I would like to see design ideas added to the website. It is fun to see what other beaders design.
Sue

I think Sue has a good idea about ” a gallery of designs”. This is the best bead site ever, great quality products, caring staff, orders arrive fast . Do you think you might possible be able to add sleeping beauty ribbon turquoise beads to your inventory ?

I have wondered why Lima Beads didn’t have a gallery on this site. Figured that would be a natural progression after you started the Fresh Picks. I have suggested b4 in previous emails – it would be cool to see some things made using the fresh picks.

Thanks Lima Beads for all the great beads you carry. I know I can come to this site and always find new and exciting selections as well as a great variety of shapes.

Love Lima Beads. Their service, both customer service and delivery service is exceptional. But I have a question for anyone out there…….was going to order Rainbow Fluorite (A) round beads. Then noticed that there are also Rainbow Fluorite round beads. They both look the same from the picures. But what does the (A) mean? Help! Thanks.

We generally don’t grade our stones because there is no grading standard for semi-precious stones and it can be confusing for customers. Grading beads is a subjective process at best. I’ve see B grade from one shop that looks like A grade from another, etc…

Our regular gemstones are really nice quality. We try and strike the perfect balance between quality and price so you can make gorgeous jewelry without spending a fortune We don’t carry anything that would be considered a low grade.

That said, occasionally we get stones in that are exceptional and even better quality than our normal stones. That is when we put an (A) or (AA) grade on them. We want people to understand why they might be a bit more expensive. When you see an (A) or (AA) grade from us, the beads are going to be extremely nice!